From Country to Table Idaho Wine is Really Grape

FROM COUNTRY TO TABLE:

IDAHO WINE IS REALLY GRAPE

BY SABINA DANA PLASSE

Enjoying Idaho wine is sharing in this region’s distinguished tradition of Pacific Northwest winemakers and grape growers. In Boise and throughout the Treasure Valley, wine-inspired activities allow travelers, visitors, and locals to enjoy celebrated and award-winning Idaho wines while partaking in the many attractions that make Idaho a special place.

Grow together

With over 70 operating wineries in Idaho, the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission ensures that Idaho wines reach not only wine enthusiasts but also restaurants, shops, and venues so that everyone can enjoy them. Yet what makes Idaho wineries unique is that winemakers and owners are usually working and available when visitors stop by for tastings, allowing for an unforgettable experience.

“Wine is thriving in Idaho,” says Idaho Wine Commission Industry Relations Manager Ashlee Struble. “We want people to ‘come as you are,’ because we want people to feel comfortable and welcomed in Idaho wineries. We also educate and promote locally as well as on a state and national level for everyone to try an Idaho wine at home and in restaurants.”

The Idaho Wine Commission is also a resource for those entertaining the idea of growing and entering Idaho’s grape world.

“We have had a successful Growers Campaign and are seeing an uptake,” says Struble. “We want more grapes in the ground, and our wineries want to use Idaho grapes.”

Meet the people behind the wine

Operating in Garden City, Telaya Wine Co has worked consistently through the tumultuous times of the past two years. However, they did make some adjustments to their tasting room and services, which worked so well that they decided to keep a few of them in place.

The location, an ever-popular spot right off the Boise Greenbelt, is run by Carrie Sullivan, a former veterinarian, and her husband, Earl, a biochemist. Together, they’ve been operating Telaya Wine Co in their Garden City location since 2016 with the intention of producing 5,000 to 6,000 cases of wine, increasing production to meet demand as much as they’re able.

“We’re a family business, and the local support is amazing,” says Carrie. “We are hard workers and committed to the wine industry in Idaho. Our sons work with us and have grown up in our winery, but we have created a wine community in this urban, hand-crafted district of Garden City that is special and one we love.”

Take a tour

Idaho wines, especially throughout the Treasure Valley and Boise, are uniquely Idaho, and when you combine tastings with the scenic beauty of Idaho wine country, it is even more rewarding.

The Sunnyslope Wine Trail in Caldwell is an excellent opportunity and adventure to explore the heart of Idaho’s wine country. For wine lovers, the Sunnyslope Wine Trail is the next mustsip wine destination you need to visit. Nestled in the scenic Snake River Valley

Carrie Sullivan of Telays Winery / Courtesy Telaya Winery

The

Sunnyslope Wine Trail in Caldwell is an excellent opportunity and adventure to explore the heart of Idaho’s wine country.

Have a delicious day trip on the Sunnyslope Wine Trail. / Courtesy Sunnyslope Wine Trail

American Viticultural Area, the Sunnyslope Wine Trail boasts 17 wineries and vineyards, award-winning wines, and intimate tasting and dining experiences framed by panoramic views.

Come for the wine, but stay for so much more. From dining along the Snake River to toasting in the middle of a vineyard, the variety of wines and wineries provide a unique and smooth finish for wine lovers. In addition, the climate is mild and perfect for year-round adventures in this Pacific Northwest region. Located in Caldwell, 30 minutes from the Boise Airport, you can enjoy incredible accommodations without sacrificing the scenery and the area’s rich agricultural heritage. The Sunnyslope Wine Trail winds through vineyards, orchards, and acres of some of the most scenic farmland in the Northwest.

Indulge in good taste with BoiseFood Tours. / Courtesy Indulge Food Tours

Back and operating after two years, Indulge Boise Food Tours offers its new tours for Boise beginning in June 2022. Owner and Chief Indulge Officer Angela Taylor, an Idaho native, launched Idaho’s first culinary walking tours in 2016. Educational, fun, and delicious, Indulge Boise Food Tours offers up-close and interactive experiences of iconic and historic Boise neighborhoods via food and drink.

“I wanted to connect, reframe, and tell Boise’s story from a culinary perspective,” says Taylor. “So much of our connection to each other is through food. We curate culinary experiences that are designed to get us out of our comfort zones to try things that you wouldn’t normally sample, broadening your culinary experience. The connection fostered on our tours is something you will not experience anywhere else—it’s the people, history, art, architecture, and culture.”

Indulge Boise Food Tours includes wine tasting and food pairings tours to provide accessible experiences with chefs, sommeliers, and other culinary professionals for locals, newcomers, tourists, and anyone passing through town.

“Our priority is local food and wine,” says Taylor. “We design our tours to teach about wine and food

and to ensure that the experiences that we are curating will open up a new universe for tour participants.”

Make a weekend of it

Combining all of Idaho’s cherished travel experiences and award-winning Idaho wines, Y Knot Winery presents a weekend getaway in Glenns Ferry that is unique and special to Idaho wine lovers and more.

“We’re a destination winery with plenty to do close to home,” says Y

Knot Winery owner Teresa McCallum. “For a tiny town, Glenns Ferry has a great deal going on that many people don’t know about.” Located on the Snake River, Y

Knot Winery has a nine-hole golf course, table-served wine tastings, lunch and dinner with indoor and outdoor seating, weekend live music, two cabins, a house for accommodations, and a 16-space

RV park. Nearby the winery, many recreation activities exist, including a theater, a museum, historical sites, and much more. “We offer sit-down tastings for guests to enjoy wine comfortably with 16 varietals to choose from and many wines by other wineries available by the bottle,” says McCallum.

“It’s an incredible experience just an hour from Boise.”

Y Knot Winery winemaker Jamie Martin is known for his expertise. The ability to enjoy a fine dining experience with award-winning Y Knot Winery wines is well worth the trip.

“We love people and meeting all the new faces,” says McCallum. “We are very people-oriented, and if you are not happy, we are not doing our job. We like to keep it simple, relaxed, and fun.”

Y Knot Winery / Courtesy Y Knot Winery